The Doctor and Sarah 00: Destination Gallifrey
by fardell24
Summary: Sarah Jane is introspective after the Doctor returns and decides to take her to Gallifrey afterall. This just increases her curiosity about him. (Alternate Universe from the end of 'The Hand of Fear')


**The Doctor and Sarah 00 – Destination: Gallifrey**

**Aboard the TARDIS in flight**

Sarah Jane Smith wandered through the TARDIS. Each corridor looked much like all the others that she passed through, white with the same roundel decorations. Each corridor looked mostly identical. She was lost in thought. The Doctor had just left her at a place that certainly wasn't South Croydon. However, the TARDIS returned within a few seconds of leaving. She had taken no chances and dashed back through the Police Box doors. Only then did she think that the place was in Scotland rather than England.

She was now wondering what the Doctor was up to. Why would he have left her because he was going to his home planet? What were his people like that he would do such a thing? She felt, that the Doctor might be ashamed that he was travelling with a human. (She didn't know what to think of that.) Or it might have something to do with why he left the planet to begin with (that was definitely an intriguing mystery). She decided to go to the bathroom and float there, in the pool sized bath, and think things through.

_ ~1~_

After some time thinking while floating, Sarah continued to wander the TARDIS corridors. At times she talked to the ship, otherwise to herself. However, most of the time she continued to think about the situation she was in and looking at what the time-ship had to offer. In all of her time with the Doctor, (either the current one with the curly brown hair, large nose and multicoloured scarf, or the previous one with the grey hair) she hadn't had much time to look at the Ship, there had always been some sort of crisis that they had landed in.

She eventually arrived back at the wooden Edwardian style console room that they had been using for about the last year.

_~2~_

While Sarah Jane was being introspective, so was the Doctor. He was wondering at his own actions in sending the TARDIS towards Gallifrey with a human on board. He was quite sure that the Time Lords would take umbrage. He hoped that Sarah wouldn't end up like Jamie and Zoe! 'I will make sure of that,' he thought.

_ ~3~_

Sarah re-entered the console room. It looked like that she had forgiven him for temporarily leaving her behind. (He also saw that she had been in the pool, her midlength brown hair hung a little further down than it usually did.)

"So we're headed to your home planet?" she finally asked.

"Yes, Gallifrey; located in the Constellation of Kasterborous," the Doctor replied.

"So why weren't you going to take me there?" Her natural curiosity had returned, the Doctor noted.

"The Time Lords view all other species as inferior. I wasn't going to let you experience that attitude first hand," he noted firmly.

"I could handle it!" Sarah said obstinately.

The Doctor looked back to the console, and then back at Sarah Jane. "I'm sure you could. However, when we arrive there, I'd like you to remain in the TARDIS until I come back."

"Why?"

"I don't know how they would react. They could do anything."

Sarah thought for a moment. "I suppose that's reasonable." She paced the console room and sat down in a chair near the door. "Doctor?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you leave Gallifrey to begin with?"

"The answer is very complicated," the Doctor replied enigmatically.

"I'm listening."

"One of the reasons was to go out into the universe to do some good. Another was to get away from the boredom that pervades Gallifrey. The Time Lords do nothing but observe the universe, unaware of their power," he added matter of factly.

"Intriguing," Sarah said. The Doctor was being very mysterious.

The TARDIS signalled that it was approaching Gallifrey.

"Sarah, go somewhere else in the ship, but not to any of the other console rooms. The bathroom, the library or the workshop would be good places. There is a secondary console in the library that will tell you if the Time Lords do a search."

Sarah nodded.

Then the old time ship came to a stop with a vibrating shudder.

They had arrived on Gallifrey...

"Would you like a jelly baby?"


End file.
